RATIONALE:  This policy was issued to establish the Oakland University provided e-mail address for each student as an official method of communication between the university and its students.  In addition, the policy attempts to assure that this communication facility is not abused and that students are not inconvenienced by its use.  It requires that all students regularly check their university provided e-mail and be responsible for messages sent using this system.

POLICY:  To establish consistent communication with students, Oakland University provides each of its students with e-mail services and an official Oakland University E-mail Address.  Oakland University departments, operating units, faculty and staff are urged to communicate with students using the Oakland University E-mail Address for official communication.  Students are accountable for reviewing the communications sent from the University to their Oakland University E-mail Address.

SCOPE AND APPLICABILITY:  This policy applies to all student e-mail sent to or from an address within the oakland.edu domain.

DEFINITIONS:  

Communications Use:  Communications Use refers to standard e-mail messaging between or among individuals.

Confidential Data:  Defined in OU AP&P #860 Information Security.

E-mail Address/E-mail Account:  A unique name assigned with e-mail services within the oakland.edu domain.

Official Use:  Official Use includes, but is not limited to, communication between faculty and students, communication within a course, administrative communication with students regarding registration, billing and collection, payroll issues and other similar matters, campus closures and crisis updates, and aggregated news and information from University Communications and Marketing.  Official Use will comply with OU AP&P #420 Employee Broadcast E-mail Procedures and does not include solicitation to purchase or sell or advertising of any kind, particularly from third parties.  Therefore, student e-mail lists may not be sold or given out for such purposes.

PROCEDURES:  

A.  Oakland University provides e-mail services to students, for Communications Use by students, and for Official Use by the University community.

B.  All use of e-mail must be consistent with the provisions of state and federal law, including the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA).

C.  All use of e-mail must be consistent with appropriate use standards, including OU AP&P #890 Use of University Information Technology Resources, and is subject to responsibilities, restrictions and sanctions described in that policy.

D.  Student e-mail lists may not be sold, shared or otherwise distributed to third-parties, unless provided for within an approved University agreement or contract.  The privacy of e-mail addresses and lists must meet expectations established in the University Privacy Statement.

E.  Students are accountable for checking their E-Mail Address regularly (i.e., once per week) and are responsible for communication sent or received in this mode.  When forwarding e-mail from the Oakland University E-mail Account to another e-mail account, students are responsible for ensuring that the other e-mail account is functioning and able to receive the OU e-mails.

F.  Although the University will use this communication mechanism for Official Use, students are still expected to follow standard procedures for educational and business processes such as registration and payment.

G.  Users of e-mail for Official Use must recognize that it is inherently insecure from send-point to end-point, and as such, care should be taken not to disclose Confidential Data in an e-mail message.

H.  Authorized parties may send broadcast e-mail messages and are responsible for obtaining any necessary sign-offs regarding purpose and content. Persons authorized to send all-student broadcast e-mails are restricted to the President, Vice Presidents, Director – Chief of Police, University Communications and Marketing, and their designees.

RELATED POLICIES AND FORMS:  
   

APPENDIX:    

2012